Preventing Heart Attacks (Cont.)

Preventing Heart Attacks: Monitoring Your Health

While the first step in preventing heart attacks is understanding the risk factors, the next step is actually knowing whether you have any of these risk factors, especially the ones that you can control (such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure).
 
Prevent or Manage Diabetes
About 17 million people in the United States have diabetes, and heart disease is the leading cause of death of those with the disease. According to the American Diabetes Association, two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.
 
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not properly produce or use insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other nutrients into energy. Another 16 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Genetics and lifestyle factors such as obesity and physical inactivity can lead to diabetes.
 
One in three people who have diabetes don't know they have it. See a doctor if you have any diabetes symptoms, which include:
 
  • Frequent urination
  • Excessive thirst
  • Extreme hunger
  • Unusual weight loss
  • Increased fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Blurry vision.
     
(Click Diabetes Treatment for more information.)
(Preventing Heart Attacks Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD